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Pupil Premium Funding for Disadvantaged Students

Key priorities:

To narrow the gap by addressing inequalities and raising the attainment of those students in low-income families.

What do we expect to see:

Targeted additional support strategies resulting in every student, however financially disadvantaged, being able to:

Improve their levels of attainment and progress;

Close attainment gaps relative to school averages;

Have full access to our curriculum;

Access our extra-curricular provision.

Evaluation of the 2017/18 situation

Budget : £119394 was spent on the following support for learning

Academic Support (£70906)

Pastoral Support (£18237)

Transition

Wider Curriculum Support (£20251)

Enhancement (£10000)

Evidencing Impact

Daily interventions are recorded on a special proforma to evidence and record impact. The type and frequency of PP support is tracked on a spreadsheet held centrally. Progress is also tracked via the review system and the data collected helps to inform, develop and target intervention strategies.

Progress 8 Score: -0.45 (unvalidated – September 2018)

We had 30 students in year 11 who have been eligible for Pupil Premium Funding. 37% (60% in 2017) of the group had attendance below the expected 95% with 17% of the group being considered persistent absentees (20% in 2017). This is an improvement on the previous academic year with attendance being a major focus of one member of the Senior Leadership Team and the Attendance Officer.

Based on their key stage 2 results that were available, only 33% of the group fell within the High Prior Attainment bracket of which 8 ended the year with a negative progress score. Once again 20% of the group were in the Low Prior Attainment group with 2 achieving a positive progress score. However those students who were in the Middle Prior Attainment Band tended to perform better with 50% making expected progress or higher in the summer exam series. . As such, overall attainment was not as high as their non counterparts in the school and the average grade lay between a 4 and a 3.

47% of the group achieved a Grade 4 or above in English and maths combined which is a slight decrease on 2016-17 figures while 67% achieved 3 or above in English and maths; a 7% increase. Maths results were higher than English this year, a flip on 2016-17 with 63% achieving Grade 4 or above in maths but only 50% in English. Students achieving a Grade 5 or above was very similar. It was also noticeable that the attainment of boys had increased although their levels of progress was lower. This was the opposite for the female cohort compared to 2017.

43% of the group achieved 5+ Grade 4s or above including English and maths, a slight increase on the previous year.

In total, 11 of the group of 30 achieved a positive progress score. In maths 14 students (47%) achieved better than expected progress whereas this number was 12 in English. Within EBacc subjects, 18 students had a positive progress score overall giving an overall score of 0.34 (-0.03 in 2017). The Open element did considerably less well this year.

There were some notable successes with one student performing on average over 2 grades higher than expectation in all of their subjects. 2 students performed 3 grades higher in the EBacc element with another 7 being at least 1 grade higher. In each of the Prior Attainment brackets, there were at least 2 students performing at 0.5 grades higher than expected.

The impact of the new roles within English and maths is now being reviewed and the success of the support analysed by individual student. This has also included the relevant grouping in which the student has been placed. The time allocated to individual mentoring has also been reviewed.

Plans for 2018/19 for Disadvantaged Students

Budget : £121964 to be spent on the following support for learning

ACADEMIC SUPPORT £70906

Dedicated full-time HLTA qualified staff known as Faculty Progress Co-ordinators work alongside current teaching staff in English and Maths to monitor, deliver and track appropriate intervention to support disadvantaged students achieving their targets. Within Science, additional in-class support is provided by science specialists with the flexibility to do small group work outside of the lesson. Within English and maths this could be in the form of:

one-to-one lesson support

small group work

in class support

one-to-one tuition.

holiday intervention days

booster registration sessions

afterschool intervention session

personalised curriculum where appropriate with House support

Close monitoring and assessing of all students needs ensures the correct support is in place at all times. In addition, LAC students receive 30 minutes of 1:1 support in English and Maths each week.

PASTORAL SUPPORT £8479 PSA + £12688 House Lead support

The Parent Support Advisor and wider Learning support team works closely with parents and students to ensure that pastoral needs are met to support the learning process. This involves working with outside practitioners and agencies where appropriate but also mentors in school. A range of enrichment activities are available to engage disadvantaged students with school and build confidence, self-esteem, motivate, fulfil aspirations and provide guidance for future career plans. The PSA works closely with the Assistant Headteacher in charge of attendance to ensure any attendance issues are monitored and addressed.

Following a review of the provision for our Disadvantaged Students during the 2017-18 academic year, we have also created a new role following a re-structuring process. This role is the Pastoral Support Co-ordinator (PSC). There is also now a Strategy Group that has been tasked with providing swifter support to those students that are currently having attendance, behaviour or emotional issues. Whilst not strictly working solely with our Disadvantaged Students, part of their time will be used for this purpose including mentoring on a 1:1 basis. This will support the work of the PSA and the Learning Mentor.

The Faculty Progress Co-ordinators (FPC)will provide 1:1 academic tutoring, however, the level of academic mentoring with be considerably less to allow for additional academic support. They will also signpost the student to other support options where there is an emotional or alternative need. In addition, they will work with students in year 7 to accelerate their progress from primary school to ensure that they are at similar levels to other students before moving into year 8. In English, this will involve being part of the Ruth Miskin Reading and Phonics programme – Fresh Start which is being delivered collaboratively across the SWAN network of schools and Tove Learning Trust Schools. The work will also support students in Year 9 as they being their English GCSE.

Transition

Close collaboration with our partner primary schools will support Students in transition from primary to secondary school. It is our intention, to begin joint preparation from earlier in year 6 to ensure that the transition process is as smooth as possible and we can identify where additional support is required from the outset.

WIDER CURRICULUM SUPPORT (£17966+£4125 resources support)

Two additional members of staff within the Inclusion unit support other curriculum areas with catch up and appropriate intervention.

Revision and coursework booster sessions are in place for Key Stage 4 students to ensure support in preparation for exams is structured and fully supportive. Resources including ‘My Maths’ CDs and ‘I Am Learning’ will be provided for all students to support their exam preparation and personal development. The accelerated reading programme has proved very successful and will continue to be promoted.

Where appropriate, funding is available to support additional curriculum related activities e.g. music lessons and school trips.

ENHANCEMENT ACTIVITIES (£10000)

A comprehensive range of enhancement activities are available, the cost of which is met through the funding. This will include aspirational curriculum days, access to ‘next step’ days looking at college courses and apprenticeships along with motivational, learning to learn, revision techniques and other focus days that will support our students to achieve to the best of their ability and potential.